What's that in the motorpool? It's awash in color
A US Navy GMC bus in “battleship gray,” photographed in 1958.
It is easy to assume that all historic military vehicles were painted in some muted shade of olive or forest green. While that tends to be true for tactical vehicles, all branches of services have employed fleets of administrative vehicles. Since 1954, the General Services Administration (GSA) has provided quality vehicles and efficient and economical fleet management services to more than 75 federal agencies — including all branches of the U.S. military.
The GSA Fleet leases non-tactical vehicles to other federal agencies. The types of vehicles in the Fleet include:
• Sedans
• Station wagons
• Sport utility vehicles (SUVs)
• Vans
• Pickup trucks (4x2 and 4x4)
• Buses
• Ambulances
• Medium and heavy duty trucks;
• Law enforcement vehicles
• Specialty equipment (trailers)
Today, with nearly 218,000 vehicles, GSA Fleet is one of the largest non-tactical fleets in the United States. However, few of them are as colorful as those featured here!
1973 AMC Matador was a GSA-procured vehicle to use as a military police vehicle. This example, still in its original color, featured front and rear sway bars, handling package, and other GSA-specific modifications.
Bill Beers’ 1975 Cushman Scooter.
Two RF-4C aircrews fully outfitted for a mission photographed in front of a full array of strata blue Air Force vehicles.
U.S. Air Force photo
US Army 1968 Chevrolet half-ton pick-up, owned by Harry Stokes
A container, unloaded from the Algol class vehicle cargo ship in the background, is lowered onto a gray-painted Seabee flatbed truck during the multinational relief effort, Operation Restore Hope.
A white Navy Disease Vector Control Office Dodge spraying an area for mosquitoes in 2014.
This 4x2 Chevrolet was used by Strategic Air Command in North Dakota. Tom Zat owns it and maintains the truck’s original, as-used condition.
90th Security Forces Group defenders tactically position themselves along side their Chevrolets during an inspection of the 90th Missile Wing on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, April 12, 2013. U.S.
Air Force photo by Matt Bilden/Released
Ford 21C pick-up owned by John Chatham.
John Norris photo
International Scout in Vietnam (no other info on the original slide).
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